A Dragon’s Tale Chapter 8.e

Rachel spent most of the walk back to the Argo answering Hailey's questions about Ethan and Alana.  Finally, Rachel had just broken down and told her everything that had happened so far, starting with Ethan's arrival.  When she finished, Hailey was silent for nearly a minute.

"So, I guess Ethan doesn't know how he got here then?"  Hailey asked.

Rachel smiled.  "Well, we're pretty sure it was a death shaman's resurrection spell gone wrong, but that doesn't answer your question."

"Do you know for sure??"  Hailey asked.

Rachel raised an eyebrow.

"I won't try getting back to Earth by dying if that's what you're thinking."  Hailey said.  "Maybe if I knew someone would try to resurrect me, but we don't have any death shamans on earth."

"What do you remember about how you got here?"  Rachel asked.  They had just past the merchant district and could see the Argo's mast and sails -- along with a dozen other airships -- above the nearby buildings.

"Not much."  Hailey replied.  "They knocked me out after they grabbed me.  I woke up here without a clue how it happened."

"Then maybe a good first step is tracking down the men who kidnapped you.  What do you remember about them?"

"They stank, swore, and threatened to rape me more times than I can count."  Hailey shuddered.  "But besides that, they didn't say much that made sense to me back then."

"Any locations or names you can remember?"  Rachel asked.

"They mentioned their boss several times."  Hailey replied.  "Galeios?  Galeforce?  Gonorrhea?  Something like that anyway."

"Hmm."  Rachel mused.  "Perhaps we should inquire around for Mr. Gonorrhea?"

Hailey burst out laughing.

"What?"  Rachel was slightly nonplussed.

"I was kidding when I said Gonorrhea."  Hailey replied through her laughing.  "It's the name of a sexually transmitted disease where I come from."

"Oh."  Rachel smiled.  "Well considering his chosen profession and threats, perhaps it's an appropriate nickname after all."

"Mr. Gonorrhea."  Hailey repeated.  "Okay, that's his name until we can find his real one."

Rachel laughed and then they rounded a corner in the docks and she pointed to the Argo.  "That's her."

"Wow."  Hailey's face split into a huge grin.  "That's amazing.  I've never seen one up close before."

Rachel introduced Hailey to the rest of the crew and they talked on the weather deck for a while.  They had arrived in time for lunch, but the meal was over and cleaned up by the time there was a lull in the conversation.

Rachel watched Hailey closely the whole time.

Though she seemed very happy and put on a cheerful face, Rachel could tell that something was wrong.  Hailey seemed a little too cheerful and a little too happy; almost like she was hiding something under a joyous farce.  She kept glancing toward the center of the city and subconsciously balling her hands into fists.  All the while, she was laughing like she was having the time of her life.

Eventually, their conversation ended midafternoon when Rachel caught a glimpse of Alana half-jogging, half-running toward the Argo.  From her gate, Rachel could tell that something was wrong.  The others must've noticed too because they met the wood elf at the top of the gangplank.

Curiously, Ethan wasn't with her.

"What's wrong?"  Rachel asked as soon as the wood elf was on board.

She explained how her meeting with Elder Goman went and how Ethan had left.  Rachel got the feeling the wood elf had left out a few details though.

"We need to find him."  She finished.

Rachel felt the gears in her mind whirring.  In hindsight, she was surprised Ethan hadn't cracked earlier given his state of mind and everything he'd been through in the last 6 weeks.

"Maybe he just needs a little time."  Anthiel suggested. "He's been through a lot and might just need to sort through it all."

"Maybe."  Alana replied, but she didn't sound convinced.  "I just can't shake the feeling that something is wrong."

"What do you mean?"  Rachel asked.  "I thought you couldn't hear his thoughts or feel his emotions anymore?"

"I can't."  Alana said.  "But I'm not sure he's able to block out absolutely everything.  Every time I look at our bond I get nothing, but I feel like something isn't right."

"Any idea what?"  Rachel asked.

"Not really."  Alana frowned.

Raklan scoffed "You're just being stupid, he'll show up in a--"

Serif smacked Raklan upside the head, interrupting him.

"What the hell did you do that for?"  Raklan looked furious and his hand went toward his sword.

Serif looked completely relaxed and didn't even react.  "Be more polite unless you are going to draw that sword, in which case I will be your opponent."  Serif didn't appear to have a single weapon on him.

Raklan eyed Serif for a moment, then dropped his hand to his side and mumbled something under his breath.

"Do you think he's in trouble?"  Hailey asked Alana.

"That's just it, I don't know."  The wood elf replied.  "I've been able to feel him for over a month and now that I can't...  It's like I've lost an arm or been blinded.  I just don't know."

Rachel stepped over to Alana and put an arm around her shoulder.  "We'll find him and he'll be fine.  Ethan is one of the toughest men I've ever met; I can't imagine him getting into trouble he can't get out of."

"I hope you're right."  Alana replied, then turned to Serif.  "You've been awfully quiet; time to weigh in."

Serif's face was unreadable as he replied.  "Ethan could be in trouble, but there's no way to know for sure."

"A response without an answer."  Rachel observed.

"Insufficient data does not compute."  He replied.

"Thank you mister Spock."  Hailey rolled her eyes.  Everyone else looked at her blankly, so she continued.  "It's from a TV show--  nevermind, I agree with Alana.  He might be in trouble."

"We need to take the Argo and go find him."  Alana insisted.

"Would that be a prudent course of action?" Serif asked.  "If Ethan decides to return to us, he'll likely return to the Argo."

"And if the Argo isn't here, we could be looking for each other for months."  Rachel finished.  "Good point."

"Precisely."  Serif said.

"But how could you find a dragon without an airship to follow him?"  Hailey asked.

No one answered.

"Let's see what we can come up with by morning."  Rachel said after a few moments.  "It would be twilight by the time we left anyway, and I doubt we could find him in the dark."

Alana opened her mouth to reply, but Rachel headed her off.  "Only one of us has wood elf eyes Alana, and we don't even know where to look."

"Okay."  Alana nodded, and everyone dispersed.

"Come on, you look like you could use some rest."  Rachel said to Alana.

She didn't resist Rachel's gentle pull and they went below decks to the 'women's section' of the sleeping area.  It was located farther from the stairs than the men's hammocks and Anthiel had hung a thick blanket between the two sections to give the ladies a little privacy.

Once there, Rachel locked eyes with Alana.  "Do you really think Ethan is in trouble?"

Alana hesitated for a moment then nodded.  There was no mistaking the concern in her eyes or body language.

"Okay, then we'll do everything we can to find him."  Rachel said.  "I promise."

"Thank you."  Alana said and gave Rachel a hug.  "I really appreciate you standing up for me.  Everyone else seems to think Ethan's just out for a walk-- er, fly."

"He might be, but that doesn't mean he isn't in trouble."  Rachel replied.  "Better safe than sorry."

Alana breathed a sigh of relief.  "I'm glad someone else understands."

"I think Hailey might too."  Rachel replied.  "Though I'm worried about her."

"Oh?"  Alana said.

"Yeah."  Rachel replied.  "I think her slavery was harder than she let on.  I think she's harboring some real resentment against her former owner."

"Can you blame her?"  Alana asked.

"No, but I think it goes beyond disliking forced manual labor."  Rachel replied, then sighed.   "Having come so close to slavery myself, I can sympathize."

Alana raised an eyebrow.

"You and Ethan saved me from a life of slavery, trapped in a prison in my own mind.  I owe you two more than I could ever hope to repay."

"We'd never ask you to repay anything."  Alana said offering another hug.

"I know."  Rachel replied, gave Alana a little squeeze then let her out of the hug.

"I'm really glad we got that will-breaker ring off you."  Alana said.  "You're a good friend."

"I'm glad too."  Rachel smiled.  "Come on, let's get some sleep.  We can brainstorm while we're falling asleep and find him in the morning."

* * *

Taloni dropped her hands as the last of the dragon's wounds closed.  She nearly dropped herself she was so tired.  The sun had fully set by now, but there was still a little light in the sky.  It was slowly changing from the reds and oranges of sunset to the dark blues of twilight.

"How are you feeling now?"  Taloni asked the dragon.

He didn't respond.

"After all the time I just spent healing your wounds."  Taloni said.  "The least you could do is answer some questions."

The dragon turned its head to look at her but remained silent.  The look in his eyes was heartbreaking.

"Okay, let's start with something easy."  Taloni said.  "What's your name?'

"Ethan."  The dragon said after a few moments.

"Please to meet you Ethan."  She replied.  "My name is Taloni."

"Hi."

"What's wrong Ethan?"

"Nothing."  He couldn't have been less convincing if he tried.

She put her hands on his scales and used her mana to enhance her senses and perception.  It took almost a minute, but she finally got a sense of what was actually wrong.  She had been so concerned with his physical health that she'd missed it.

"You're not taking in any mana are you?" she asked.

"No."  The dragon replied.

"You need some gold."  Taloni said.

"No I don't."

"But won't you die without it?"

The dragon shrugged.

"I don't understand."  Taloni replied.  "You don't want to die...  do you?"

The dragon grunted.  It was almost a disinterested grunt; like it simply didn't matter to him.

"You will die.  You know that right?"

The dragon sighed then -- with what seemed like a great effort -- he stood on all fours.  Taloni scrambled away from him, but he made no move to threaten her.   Instead, he took a few steps toward the creek and took a sip of water.

"What happened?"  Taloni asked.  "What was so terrible that you're willing to die?"

The dragon opened his mouth to reply, but then shook his head and closed it.  "I appreciate you healing my wounds.  That was very kind.  Thank you."

"You're avoiding the question."  Taloni observed

"Yes I am."  The dragon replied, then he flopped down next to the creek as if he was exhausted.

Taloni mentally cursed her youth and inexperience.  She knew something was up, she just didn't have a clue how to get the dragon to open up to her.  Finally, she settled on the one thing that seemed to help when Prayla was concealing something.

She marched over the dragon's head, lowered herself to eye level, and stared into his eyes as she spoke.  "Please tell me?"  She asked as nicely and sweetly as possible.

The dragon's lips twisted into what was unmistakably a smile.  It was odd seeing a dragon smile.   It didn't look quite like a human's smile, but it wasn't far off either.

"How old are you Taloni?"  the dragon asked.

"I passed eighteen summers earlier this year."  Taloni announced proudly.

"So, eighteen."  The dragon said.  "I remember being eighteen.  That was the year I started a business with my best friend.  We were going to be like Calvin and Hobbes.  We were going to change the world and make a fortune doing it."

The dragon seemed pensive, so Taloni kept silent and let him continue.

"It's strange, looking back on my life."  The dragon said.  "I never thought I would end up on another world in a dragon's body.  Life is strange you know?"

"Yes."  She replied.  "Yes, it is."

"It's also precious."  The dragon said.  "Take time to savor life Taloni; you never know when it will end."

"I think--" she started to say, but was interrupted by someone shouting behind her.

"THERE SHE IS!"

Someone shouted from the top of the hill where Taloni and Prayla had been watching the dragon.  There were a dozen men, all had a large shield plus a spear or axe.  Peeking out from behind the men was Prayla, her face was a mask of worry and concern.

Leading them was Thaltien; her owner.

He stood head and shoulders above the other men. He was a gruff man with a large unkempt beard, clever eyes, and no patience for interference in his business.  He was holding a large Dane axe in one hand and a massive kite shield in his other.  He wore no armor, but his surcoat was thick enough to stop all but the sharpest of weapons.

The dragon's response to their presence was instant and shocking considering how exhausted he seemed to be.  The dragon took a flying leap right over Taloni's head, landing between her and Thaltien's men.  He raised his hand a large hammer flew to it from the bushes nearby.  The dragon crouched low in an unmistakably protective stance.

He was shielding her from them.

Taloni felt her heart go out to the dragon.  She knew exactly how exhausted and tired he was and yet he had sprung to her defense without a moment's hesitation.  No one had ever done that for her before.

"Let her go beast."  Thaltien said.  "She saves me a lot of money, so Fey is off the menu tonight."

"You know him?"  The dragon asked Taloni without taking his eyes off Thaltien.

"He's my owner."  She nodded

"And I want my slave back."  The man stated flatly.

She let her shoulders slump.  Thaltien wasn't mean and allowed her a lot of freedom.  He was fairly kind until the moment his bottom line was affected.  Then he eliminated any obstacles without hesitation.

"That's barbaric."  The dragon growled.

"Time to kill a dragon boys."  Thaltien said.

His men began advancing down the ravine with their shields up.  The dragon bristled, then reached out with his other hand and a spear flew into it.  He was definitely about to fight for her.

He was going to fight for her...

For her.

Nobody had ever done that before.

Not once in her entire life.

No one had ever stood up for her without asking for something in return.  Not even Prayla -- who was a good friend until trouble showed up, then she would bail without a second thought.  Not a single person she'd met in her entire life would've done that for her.

Until now.

Taloni felt tears well up in her eyes.  How could anyone -- especially a dragon -- do that for her?  What could possibly make him do that?   She didn't understand it, it didn't make any sense.   Then it registered with her that this dragon was about to fight a dozen armed men.  They all had experience fighting dragons and he was in a weakened state.

She couldn't let that happen.

She couldn't let anyone hurt him.

"Wait!"  Taloni scrambled to her feet and ran in between the dragon and Thaltien's men.  "It's okay, I'm fine and he hasn't hurt me."

Thaltien stopped his advance and signaled his men to do the same.  "Explain."

"He was hurt."  Taloni said.  "Another dragon took his gold and he's dying.  Please, just let him be and I'll come quietly."

The dragon growled.

Taloni turned to him.  "It's fine, really.  He's my owner and it's his right."

The disgust was as obvious as the dragon spoke.  "Not on my watch."

Taloni took a step toward the dragon and looked into his eyes.  "It's okay.  Really, I'll be fine.  Thaltien's not a cruel master and he treats me well as long as I keep his miners healed."

The dragon bristled again, then took a threatening step toward the armed men.

"Please don't."  Taloni pleaded.  "They'll kill you."

"I'm going to die anyway."  The dragon replied.  "Might as well go out fighting for a good cause."

Taloni felt her breath catch in her throat.  He thought fighting for her was a good cause?  What kind of a dragon was this?  Her heart was doing little backflips until she remembered the danger he was in.

"Please, do me this one favor."  Taloni pleaded.  "Let me go with them."

The dragon hesitated.

"I healed you, so don't you technically owe me a favor?"  Taloni said.  "Please, let me go?"

The dragon didn't move for several seconds, then nodded and lowered his weapons.  "A girl with a heart like yours shouldn't be a slave."  He said matter-of-factly.

"A dragon with a heart like yours shouldn't die."  She countered.

The dragon gave her a weak smile, then took a step away from Thaltien's men and she walked toward them.  They seemed wary, but more relaxed now that the dragon didn't appear so threatening.  She joined their group and they headed back up the shallow sides of the ravine.  Most of the men were walking up backwards, shields raised and never taking their eyes off the dragon.

As Taloni crested the ridge of the ravine, she looked back at the dragon.  Despite his burst of energy, she could tell he was exhausted.  He dropped his weapons and flopped down to the ground.

As Taloni looked at him, she couldn't help but smile.  He'd only known her for a short time but was willing to fight for her.  She felt her heart soar; she had never met anyone like that before.   As he disappeared out of sight, the only thought in Taloni's head was that she wanted to see him again.

Soon.

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